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[en] Pelvic vein incompetence is common in patients with atypical varicose veins, contributing to their recurrence after surgery. Therefore, refluxing pelvic veins should be identified and treated. We present our experience with pelvic vein embolisation in patients presenting with varicose veins. Patients presenting with varicose veins with a duplex-proven contribution from perivulval veins undergo transvaginal duplex sonography (TVUS) to identify refluxing pelvic veins. Those with positive scans undergo embolisation before surgical treatment of their lower limb varicose veins. A total of 218 women (mean age of 46.3 years) were treated. Parity was documented in the first 60 patients, of whom 47 (78.3%) were multiparous, 11 (18.3%) had had one previous pregnancy, and 2 (3.3%) were nulliparous. The left ovarian vein was embolised in 78%, the right internal iliac in 64.7%, the left internal iliac in 56.4%, and the right ovarian vein in 42.2% of patients. At follow-up TVUS, mild reflux only was seen in 16, marked persistent reflux in 6, and new reflux in 3 patients. These 9 women underwent successful repeat embolisation. Two patients experienced pulmonary embolisation of the coils, of whom 1 was asymptomatic and 1 was successfully retrieved; 1 patient had a misplaced coil protruding into the common femoral vein; and 1 patient had perineal thrombophlebitis. The results of our study showed that pelvic venous embolisation by way of a transjugular approach is a safe and effective technique in the treatment of pelvic vein reflux.

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[en] MRI with its excellent contrast resolution and direct multiplanar imaging has become a valuable medical tool in diagnostic imaging. Due to physiological motion artifacts, the role of MRI in the abdomen is still under discussion. The use of ultrafast sequences and the development of oral contrast agents, however, offers new promises for abdominal MRI. In the area of the retroperitoneum and pelvis, MRI produces excellent images as motion-artifacts are absent. Up to the end of 1989 clinical MRI in The Netherlands was performed in only four university hospitals; nevertheless these centers proved able to compete with international standards. The rapidly increasing number of MR units that recently became available in The Netherlands could result in a surpassing of CT in many pelvic and abdominal pathological conditions. 42 refs.; 4 figs

[en] Purpose: To evaluate the symphyseal changes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Material and Methods: Radiological-morphological changes of the symphysis were studied in 68 patients (66 men, 2 women) with ankylosing spondylitis whose age ranged from 21 to 75 years. The duration of the disease was from 2 to 50 years. Results and Conclusion: Changes in the symphysis were found in 16 patients (23.5%) and were less prominent than findings in the sacroiliac joints. We classified these changes into four stages: minimal changes, apparent destruction, reparation and ankylosis. The third and the fourth stages of the changes in the symphysis were found more frequently in patients who suffered from the disease for more than 15 years. Radiological evaluation of symphyseal changes can be helpful in the evaluation of disease progression as well as in establishing a differential diagnosis

[en] Short communication

[en] To find a correlation between the cross-over ratio of the cross-over sign on conventional anteroposterior (AP) pelvic radiographs and retroversion measurements ('roof-edge angle' and 'equatorial-edge angle) on computed tomography (CT) scans. This would facilitate the interpretation of the cross-over sign regarding the amount of acetabular retroversion. Correctly projected AP pelvic radiographs (2,925 hips) were examined for the presence of the cross-over sign (COS), and the overlap ratio of the COS was measured. On CT scans of the same patients the 'roof-edge angle' (RE angle) and the 'equatorial-edge angle' (EE angle) were also calculated. A statistically significant but only weak relationship could be found between the overlap ratio of the COS and the 'roof-edge angle' (P < 0.0001; correlation coefficient -0.486) and between this ratio and the 'equatorial-edge angle' (P < 0.0001; correlation coefficient -0.395). A relationship between the overlap ratio and orientation measurements on CT scans could be found, but it was less strong than expected. (orig.)

[en] An active 38-year-old patient presenting a vertebral compression fracture associated with a pelvic fracture was treated in one stage with CT-guided fixation of the sacrum and kyphoplasty. This treatment decreased the pain, restored the vertebral height, and enabled the patient to be ambulatory. The main advantage of this double approach was to shorten the hospital stay and the nonworking period.

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